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Abstract:

A module filter is mounted upon a module housing of a dispensing valve
assembly at a position which is disposed substantially immediately
upstream of the dispensing valve assembly nozzle, but at a position which
is effectively offset from the longitudinal axis of the dispensing valve
assembly nozzle, so as to not only be readily externally accessible, but
in addition, the module filter is also effectively independent of the
dispensing valve assembly nozzle such that the dispensing valve assembly
nozzle does not have to be removed from the dispensing valve assembly in
order to gain access to the module filter. The module filter may be
secured within the dispensing valve assembly housing by an O-ring member,
or alternatively, the module filter may be integral with the O-ring
member.

Claims:

1. A fluid dispensing valve assembly, comprising:a module housing having a
longitudinal axis and within which there is disposed an axially movable
dispensing valve member;a fluid dispensing nozzle fixedly mounted upon a
first side wall member of said module housing for dispensing a fluid to
be dispensed;first and second control air ports defined within said
module housing for conducting incoming control air into said module
housing for controlling the axial movement of the dispensing valve member
between a first seated position at which the dispensing of the fluid from
said fluid dispensing nozzle is prevented, and a second unseated position
at which the dispensing of the fluid from said fluid dispensing nozzle is
permitted;a fluid inlet port defined within a second side wall member of
said module housing for permitting fluid, to be dispensed, to enter said
module housing and to be conducted toward the axially movable dispensing
valve member and said fluid dispensing nozzle so as to be dispensed from
said fluid dispensing nozzle when the axially movable dispensing valve
member is disposed at said second unseated position; anda nozzle filter
mounted upon said second side wall member of said module housing and
operatively associated with said fluid inlet port so as to be disposed at
a position upstream of said fluid dispensing nozzle for filtering
particle debris, which may be disposed within said fluid, so as to
prevent such particle debris from clogging said fluid dispensing nozzle.

2. The fluid dispensing valve assembly as set forth in claim 1,
wherein:said nozzle filter is mounted upon said second side wall member
of said module housing so as to be externally accessible.

3. The fluid dispensing valve assembly as set forth in claim 2, wherein:as
a result of said nozzle filter being mounted upon said second side wall
member of said module housing so as to be externally accessible, said
nozzle filter is accessible independently of said fluid dispensing
nozzle.

4. The fluid dispensing valve assembly as set forth in claim 1,
wherein:said nozzle filter is mounted within a countersunk recessed
portion of said second side wall member of said module housing.

5. The fluid dispensing valve assembly as set forth in claim 4, further
comprising:an O-ring sealing member disposed within said countersunk
recessed portion of said second side wall member of said module housing
so as to maintain said nozzle filter mounted within said countersunk
recessed portion of said second side wall member of said module housing.

6. The fluid dispensing valve assembly as set forth in claim 1,
wherein:said nozzle filter is fabricated from stainless steel.

11. The fluid dispensing valve assembly as set forth in claim 1,
wherein:said second side wall member of said module housing, within which
said fluid inlet port is defined and upon which said nozzle filter is
mounted, is substantially perpendicular to said first side wall member of
said module housing upon which said fluid dispensing nozzle is mounted.

12. The fluid dispensing valve assembly as set forth in claim 11,
wherein:as a result of said nozzle filter being mounted upon said second
side wall member of said module housing, which is disposed substantially
perpendicular to said first side wall member of said module housing upon
which said fluid dispensing nozzle is mounted, said nozzle filter
comprises an inline but offset nozzle filter with respect to said fluid
dispensing nozzle.

13. The fluid dispensing valve assembly as set forth in claim 1,
wherein:said first side wall member of said module housing, upon which
said fluid dispensing nozzle is mounted, comprises an undersurface wall
member of said module housing.

14. The fluid dispensing valve assembly as set forth in claim 13,
wherein:said fluid dispensing nozzle is disposed upon said undersurface
wall member of said module housing in a coaxial manner with respect to
said longitudinal axis of said module housing.

15. The fluid dispensing valve assembly as set forth in claim 14,
wherein:as a result of said nozzle filter being mounted upon said second
side wall member of said module housing, which is disposed substantially
perpendicular to said first side wall member of said module housing upon
which said fluid dispensing nozzle is mounted, said nozzle filter
comprises an inline but axially offset nozzle filter with respect to said
fluid dispensing nozzle.

16. The fluid dispensing valve assembly as set forth in claim 1,
wherein:said first and second control air ports, defined within said
module housing for conducting incoming control air into said module
housing for controlling the axial movement of the dispensing valve member
between the first seated position and the second unseated position, are
defined within said second side wall member of said module housing.

Description:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001]The present invention relates generally to fluid dispensing valve
assemblies, such as, for example, hot melt adhesive or other
thermoplastic material dispensing valve assemblies, and more particularly
to a new and improved hot melt adhesive or other thermoplastic material
dispensing valve or module assembly, which is operatively associated with
and fixedly mounted upon the hot melt adhesive or other thermoplastic
material applicator, and which has a new and improved module filter
assembly disposed therewithin for trapping minute particles or debris
which could otherwise clog or block the hot melt adhesive or other
thermoplastic material dispensing valve assembly nozzle, wherein the new
and improved module filter assembly is mounted upon or within the hot
melt adhesive or other thermoplastic material dispensing valve or module
assembly so as to not only be readily accessible when the hot melt
adhesive or other thermoplastic material dispensing valve or module
assembly is detached from the hot melt adhesive or other thermoplastic
material applicator in connection with, for example, the performance of a
filter removal, cleaning, or replacement operation, but in addition, the
new and improved module filter assembly is mounted upon the hot melt
adhesive or other thermoplastic material dispensing valve or module
assembly so as to effectively be independent of the hot melt adhesive or
other thermoplastic material dispensing valve assembly nozzle such that
the hot melt adhesive or other thermoplastic dispensing valve assembly
nozzle does not have to be detached or removed from the hot melt adhesive
or other thermoplastic material dispensing valve or module assembly in
order to gain access to the module filter assembly.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002]Fluid dispensing head assemblies, whether they are used for
dispensing or depositing hot melt adhesives, plastic extrusion materials,
cosmetic lotions, or the like, are of course well known. Such fluid
dispensing head assemblies, such as, for example, hot melt adhesive
dispensing head assemblies, normally comprise filter mechanisms or
components which are disposed within a filter block to which a hot melt
adhesive supply conduit is fixedly connected. More particularly, the
filter mechanism or component is conventionally disposed within the
filter block immediately downstream of the fluidic connection defined
between the hot melt adhesive supply conduit and the filter block. While
such filter component or mechanism therefore filters or entraps most
particles or debris whereby such debris or particles do not contaminate
the hot melt adhesive, debris or particles as small as, or smaller than,
0.005 inches sometimes find their way or migrate through the system,
ultimately clogging or blocking nozzles which may have small orifices on
the order of 0.010-0.015 inches in diameter. Such particles can be
released, for example, during primary filter exchange or replacement
operations whereby stagnant debris disposed around the filter component
may be dislodged or otherwise stirred up or released. Alternatively, it
has been found that such particles can nevertheless be formed within the
hot melt adhesive dispensing head assembly, after the primary filtration
has taken place within the aforenoted filter block, at positions upstream
and remote from the dispensing valve assembly nozzle. Regardless of how
such particles or debris are formed or find their way into the adhesive
dispensing system, it is desirable to catch or entrap such particles
before they enter the dispensing valve assembly nozzle.

[0003]A need therefore existed in the art for a removable inline nozzle
filter which could effectively be incorporated within the dispensing
valve or module assembly at a position or location immediately upstream
of the dispensing valve assembly nozzle so as to catch, filter, or entrap
any particles or debris which may nevertheless still be present within
the system despite previous filtration of the hot melt adhesive material
within the conventional filter block assembly at a position or location
upstream and remote from the dispensing valve assembly nozzle. The
aforenoted need was effectively met, for example, by means of the filter
mechanism disclosed within U.S. Pat. No. 6,315,168 which was issued to
Bolyard, Jr. et al. on Nov. 13, 2001, however, it is noted that such
filter mechanism is not only inline with respect to the dispensing valve
assembly nozzle, but in addition, and more importantly for the purposes
of the present invention discussion, the filter mechanism is effectively
secured within the dispensing valve or module assembly by means of the
dispensing valve assembly nozzle so as to, in effect, be coaxially
aligned with respect to the dispensing valve assembly nozzle.
Accordingly, if the filter mechanism needs to be cleaned, replaced, or
exchanged, the dispensing valve assembly nozzle must first be detached
and removed from the dispensing valve assembly.

[0004]A further need, to which the present invention is addressed,
therefore exists in the art for a removable inline filter mechanism, to
be operatively and fluidically connected to the dispensing valve assembly
nozzle, which can be mounted upon or incorporated within the dispensing
valve or module assembly at a position or location which is located
substantially immediately upstream of the dispensing valve assembly
nozzle so as to catch, filter, or entrap any particles or debris which
may nevertheless still be present within the system despite previous
filtration of the hot melt adhesive or other thermoplastic material
within the conventional filter block assembly at a position or location
upstream and remote from the dispensing valve assembly nozzle, and yet
the inline filter mechanism is to be mounted upon or incorporated within
the dispensing valve or module assembly at a position or location which
effectively renders the same positionally independent of the dispensing
valve assembly nozzle such that if the filter mechanism needs to be
removed from the dispensing valve or module assembly in order to be
cleaned or replaced, the dispensing valve assembly nozzle need not first
be detached or removed from the dispensing valve or module assembly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005]The foregoing and other objectives are achieved in accordance with
the teachings and principles of the present invention through the
provision of a new and improved hot melt adhesive or other thermoplastic
material dispensing valve or module assembly which is operatively
associated with and fixedly mounted upon the hot melt adhesive or other
thermoplastic material applicator and which has a new and improved module
filter assembly disposed therewithin for trapping minute particles or
debris which could otherwise clog or block the hot melt adhesive or other
thermoplastic material dispensing valve assembly nozzle. The new and
improved module filter assembly is mounted upon or within a module
housing or body of the dispensing valve or module assembly at a position
which is disposed substantially immediately upstream of the dispensing
valve assembly nozzle but at a position which is, in effect, offset from
the longitudinal axis of the dispensing valve assembly nozzle so as to
not only be readily accessible when the dispensing valve or module
assembly is detached from the hot melt adhesive or other thermoplastic
material applicator in connection with, for example, the performance of a
filter removal, cleaning, or replacement operation, but in addition, the
new and improved module filter assembly is also effectively independent
of the dispensing valve assembly nozzle such that the dispensing valve
assembly nozzle does not have to be detached or removed from the
dispensing valve or module assembly in order to gain access to the module
filter assembly. In accordance with a first embodiment of the module
filter assembly, the module filter is secured within the dispensing valve
assembly or module housing by means of an O-ring sealing member, while in
accordance with a second embodiment of the module filter assembly, the
module filter is disposed internally within the O-ring sealing member and
forms an integral assembly therewith.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006]Various other features and attendant advantages of the present
invention will be more fully appreciated from the following detailed
description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings
in which like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts
throughout the several views, and wherein:

[0007]FIG. 1 is a perspective view, partially exploded, of a new and
improved hot melt adhesive or other thermoplastic material dispensing
valve or module assembly, which has been constructed in accordance with
the principles and teachings of the present invention, which shows the
cooperative parts thereof, and which has a first embodiment of a new and
improved module filter assembly incorporated therein;

[0008]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a new and
improved module filter assembly which has also been constructed in
accordance with the principles and teachings of the present invention and
which can likewise be incorporated within the new and improved hot melt
adhesive or other thermoplastic material dispensing valve or module
assembly as disclosed within FIG. 1;

[0009]FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the new and improved module
filter assembly as disclosed within FIG. 2; and

[0010]FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the new and improved module
filter assembly as disclosed within FIG. 3 and as taken along the lines
4-4 of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0011]Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIG. 1
thereof, a new and improved hot melt adhesive or other thermoplastic
material dispensing valve or module assembly, which has been constructed
in accordance with the principles and teachings of the present invention,
is disclosed and is generally indicated by the reference character 100.
More particularly, the hot melt adhesive or other thermoplastic material
dispensing valve or module assembly 100 is similar to the hot melt
adhesive dispensing valve or module assembly as disclosed within the
aforenoted U.S. Pat. No. 6,315,168 which issued to Bolyard, Jr. et al. in
that the same comprises a module housing or body 102 within which there
is disposed a dispensing valve assembly which is not illustrated but
which is similar to the dispensing valve assembly disclosed within the
aforenoted U.S. Pat. No. 6,315,168 which issued to Bolyard, Jr. et al.,
the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

[0012]The module housing or body 102 is adapted to be fixedly mounted upon
an applicator head or the like, not shown, by means of, for example, a
plurality of headed bolt fasteners 104,104 which are adapted to pass or
extend through unthreaded bores 105,105 defined within the module housing
or body 102, and it is also seen that the module housing or body 102 has
first and second control air ports 106,108 which are defined in a
recessed or countersunk manner within upper portions of a side wall
member 110 of the module housing or body 102, wherein the first and
second control air ports 106,108 respectively provide fluidic
communication to the module body or housing 102 for incoming control air
for controlling the movement of the dispensing valve assembly, not shown,
between its lowered, seated position and its raised, unseated position. A
hot melt adhesive or other thermoplastic material dispensing valve
assembly nozzle 112 is adapted to be threadedly mounted within an
underside or lower end wall portion 113 of the module housing or body
102, and accordingly, when the dispensing valve assembly, not shown, is
disposed at its upper or raised, unseated position as a result of the
control air being admitted into the control air port 108, the hot melt
adhesive or other thermoplastic material is able to be dispensed from the
dispensing valve assembly nozzle 112, whereas when the dispensing valve
assembly, not shown, is disposed at its lowered or seated position as a
result of the control air being admitted into the control air port 106,
hot melt adhesive or other thermoplastic material is no longer able to be
dispensed from the dispensing valve assembly nozzle 112.

[0013]Continuing further, the module housing or body 102 has a hot melt
adhesive or other thermoplastic material inlet port 114 defined in a
recessed or countersunk manner within the side wall member 110 of the
module housing or body 102 at position located beneath the pair of
unthreaded bores 105,105 defined within the module housing or body 102,
and in accordance with further principles and teachings of the present
invention, a first embodiment of a new and improved module filter
assembly, comprising an inline filter member 116, is adapted to be
disposed within the countersunk or recessed region 118 which is defined
within the side wall member 110 of the module housing or body 102 and
which surrounds the hot melt adhesive or other thermoplastic material
inlet port 114. The filter member 116 may be fabricated from a suitable
stainless steel and is seen to effectively comprise a circular disc
having, for example, a radially outer solid annular portion 120 and an
axially central porous or mesh portion 122. An O-ring sealing member 124
is also adapted to be operatively associated with the filter member 116
and the countersunk or recessed region 118 defined within the side wall
member 110 of the module housing 102 in that once the filter member 116
is disposed within the countersunk or recessed region 118 of the side
wall member 110 of the module housing or body 102, the O-ring sealing
member 124 is adapted to be inserted in a substantially friction-fit
manner within the recessed or countersunk region 118 of the side wall
member 110 of the module housing or body 102 so as to effectively fixedly
retain the filter member 116 within the countersunk or recessed region
118 of the side wall member 110 of the module housing or body 102.

[0014]In accordance with further teachings and principles of the present
invention, it will also be noted that, contrary to the inline filter
assembly, as disclosed within the aforenoted U.S. Pat. No. 6,315,168
which issued to Bolyard, Jr. et al., wherein the inline filter assembly
was disposed immediately upstream of, and coaxially aligned with, the
dispensing valve assembly nozzle, the filter member 116 of the present
invention comprises an inline filter member which is disposed immediately
upstream of the dispensing valve assembly nozzle 112, however, it is not
coaxially aligned with the dispensing valve assembly nozzle 112. More
particularly, as a result of the disposition of the dispensing valve
assembly nozzle 112 being disposed within the underside or lower end wall
portion 113 of the dispensing valve or module assembly housing or body
102, and as a result of the disposition of the filter member 116 being
disposed within the side wall member 110 of the module housing or body
102, the filter member 116 is effectively disposed at an offset position
with respect to the axis 126 of the dispensing valve assembly nozzle 112.
It is seen, for example, that the axis 128 of the filter member 116
intersects the axis 126 of the dispensing valve assembly nozzle 112 at,
for example, an angle A of approximately 90°. Therefore, while the
filter member 116 comprises an inline filter member with respect to the
dispensing valve assembly 112 as defined by means of the fluid flow path
of the incoming hot melt adhesive or other thermoplastic material which
extends from the applicator head or the like, not shown, into the hot
melt adhesive or other thermoplastic material inlet port 114, and then to
the dispensing valve assembly nozzle 112, it can also be readily
appreciated that the inline filter member 116 is readily accessible to
operator personnel in an independent manner with respect to the
dispensing valve assembly nozzle 112. For example, should the filter
member need to cleaned, removed, or replaced, the module housing or body
102 can be easily removed or detached from the hot melt adhesive or other
thermoplastic material applicator as a result of disengaging the bolt
fasteners 104,104, and accordingly, the disposition of the filter member
116, at its axially offset position within the side wall member 110 of
the module housing or body 102, with respect to the axial disposition of
the dispensing valve assembly nozzle 112 within the underside or lower
end wall portion 113 of the module housing or body 102, renders the same
immediately accessible without necessitating the removal of the
dispensing valve assembly nozzle 112 from the module housing or body 102.

[0015]With reference now being made to FIGS. 2-4, a second embodiment of a
new and improved module filter assembly, which has also been constructed
in accordance with the principles and teachings of the present invention
and which can likewise be incorporated within the new and improved hot
melt adhesive or other thermoplastic material dispensing valve or module
assembly as disclosed within FIG. 1, is disclosed and is generally
indicated by the reference character 200. It is to be noted that in view
of the similarity between the new and improved second embodiment module
filter assembly as disclosed within FIGS. 2-4, and the new and improved
first embodiment module filter assembly as disclosed within FIG. 1,
component parts of the second embodiment module filter assembly as
disclosed within FIGS. 2-4, which correspond to component parts of the
first embodiment module filter assembly as disclosed within FIG. 1, will
be designated by corresponding reference characters except that they will
be within the 200 series.

[0016]More particularly, it is seen that the new and improved second
embodiment module filter assembly 200 is seen to comprise an inline
filter member 216 which comprises an axially central porous or mesh
portion 222 integrally disposed internally within a surrounding O-ring
sealing member 224, and that, as was the case with the axially central
porous or mesh portion 122 of the inline filter member 116 as disclosed
within FIG. 1, the axially central porous or mesh portion 222 of the
inline filter member 216 may be fabricated from a 100 mesh stainless
steel filter screen component. The integral inline filter member 216 may
then be incorporated, for example, within a countersunk or recessed
region of a module housing or body similar to the recessed or countersunk
region 118 of the side wall member 110 of the module housing or body 102,
it being of course appreciated that, as a result of integrally
incorporating the porous or mesh portion 222 within the surrounding
O-ring sealing member 224, the actual filtering section of the overall
integral inline filter member 216 would automatically be inserted,
installed, and properly positioned within the recessed or countersunk
region of the module housing or body as a result of the insertion,
installation, and positioning of the O-ring sealing member 224 within the
recessed or countersunk region of the module housing or body.

[0017]Still further, it is also to be appreciated that, as was the case
with the first embodiment inline filter member 116 as disclosed within
FIG. 1, as a result of the disposition of the dispensing valve assembly
nozzle 112 within the underside or lower end wall portion 113 of the
dispensing valve or module assembly housing or body 102, and as a result
of the disposition of the filter member 216 within, for example, the side
wall member 110 of the module housing or body 102, the filter member 216
is also effectively disposed at an offset position with respect to the
axis 126 of the dispensing valve assembly nozzle 112. Therefore, while
the filter member 216 comprises an inline filter member with respect to
the dispensing valve assembly 112 as defined by means of the fluid flow
path of the incoming hot melt adhesive or other thermoplastic material
which extends from the applicator head or the like, not shown, into the
hot melt adhesive or other thermoplastic material inlet port 114, and
then to the dispensing valve assembly nozzle 112, it can also be readily
appreciated that the inline filter member 216 is readily accessible to
operator personnel in an independent manner with respect to the
dispensing valve assembly nozzle 112. Accordingly, should the filter
member need to cleaned, removed, or replaced, the module housing or body
102 can be easily removed or detached from the hot melt adhesive or other
thermoplastic material applicator as a result of disengaging the bolt
fasteners 104,104, and therefore, the disposition of the filter member
216, at its axially offset position within the side wall member 110 of
the module housing or body 102, with respect to the axial disposition of
the dispensing valve assembly nozzle 112 within the underside or lower
end wall portion 113 of the module housing or body 102, renders the same
immediately accessible without necessitating the removal of the
dispensing valve assembly nozzle 112 from the module body or housing 102.

[0018]Thus, it may be seen that in accordance with the principles and
teachings of the present invention, there has been disclosed a new and
improved hot melt adhesive or other thermoplastic material dispensing
valve or module assembly which is adapted to be operatively associated
with and fixedly mounted upon a hot melt adhesive or other thermoplastic
material applicator and which has a new and improved module filter
assembly disposed therewithin for trapping minute particles or debris
which could otherwise clog or block the hot melt adhesive or other
thermoplastic material dispensing valve assembly nozzle. The new and
improved module filter assembly is mounted upon or within a module
housing or body of the dispensing valve or module assembly at a position
which is disposed substantially immediately upstream of the dispensing
valve assembly nozzle but at a position which is, in effect, offset from
the longitudinal axis of the dispensing valve assembly nozzle so as to
not only be readily accessible when the dispensing valve or module
assembly is detached from the hot melt adhesive or other thermoplastic
material applicator in connection with, for example, the performance of a
filter removal, cleaning, or replacement operation, but in addition, the
new and improved module filter assembly is also effectively independent
of the dispensing valve assembly nozzle such that the dispensing valve
assembly nozzle does not have to be detached or removed from the
dispensing valve or module assembly in order to gain access to the module
filter assembly. In accordance with a first embodiment of the module
filter assembly, the module filter is secured within the dispensing valve
assembly or module housing by means of an O-ring sealing member, while in
accordance with a second embodiment of the module filter assembly, the
module filter is disposed internally within the O-ring sealing member and
forms an integral assembly therewith.

[0019]Obviously, many variations and modifications of the present
invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore
to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the
present invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically
described herein.